Seeing All Black: New Zealand’s greatest XV

Rugby is a very different game from most other sports. Whereas there are always moving pieces at the top of the world rankings, there is no such thing in the hardest hitting game around. New Zealand seem to always be at the top of the world and nobody can claim that they don’t deserve to be.

Interestingly, England have improved massively in recent years, becoming the second best team in the world and a genuine world-class prospect, but they are still a long way off the All Blacks which shows just how big the gap between the best and the rest is.

With so many world-class players gracing New Zealand’s current side, and some of the greatest players ever pulling on the black shirt, we have painstakingly compiled out greatest New Zealand XV:

Big Heart

The NBA’s shortest player at 5’3’’, Muggsy Bogues, blocked 39 shorts during his career.

BMW South African Open Championship – Day Four

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 15: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts to his tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the BMW South African Open Championship at Glendower Golf Club on January 15, 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

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Bank

Kobe Bryant’s jersey from his 18th and final All-Star Game sold for a whopping $100,040. The jersey sale doubled the previous record: LeBron James’ jersey from his return to Cleveland, which sold for $50,000.

Stats

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are only two players in NBA history with 25,000+ points, 6,000+ assists and 1,500 steals.

So there you have it. The team is packed full of some of the greatest talent to have ever played the game. Some of the older amongst you will claim that there are a lot of recent Kiwi players in the team, but that is because it is incredibly tough to omit many of the double World Cup winning players.

It shows the depth of New Zealand that legends like Jerry Collins, Joe Rokocoko and Keven Mealamu haven’t made the cut on this attempt, meaning that the fans of the All Blacks have been absolutely spoiled for choice in the world class bracket from the first day of the Kiwi’s inception into rugby.